Azrael is an alias used by multiple

fictional characters In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, Play (theatre), play, Radio series, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or b ...

appearing in

American comic books An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'', ...

published by

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

. The original version,

Jean-Paul Valley Jean-Paul Valley Jr. is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Dennis O'Neil, Denny O'Neil, Joe Quesada, and Peter Milligan. He debuted in ''Batman: Sword of Azrael'' #1 (October 1992) as ...

, was created by

Denny O'Neil Dennis Joseph O'Neil (May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020) was an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retir ...

Joe Quesada Joseph Quesada (; born January 12, 1962'' Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; page 107) is an American comic book artist, writer, editor, and television producer. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books ...

, and

Peter Milligan Peter Milligan (born 24 June 1961) is a British comic book writer who has written extensively for both British and American comic book industries. In the UK, Milligan has contributed to numerous anthology titles including '' 2000 AD'', ''Revolv ...

, and debuted in ''Batman: Sword of Azrael'' #1 (August 1992). The second character to assume the alias was Michael Washington Lane, in ''Azrael: Death's Dark Knight'' #1 (May 2009). Both iterations are

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

vigilantes and assassins created by the

Order of St. Dumas The following is a list of fictional criminal and terrorist organizations that have been published by DC Comics and their imprints. 0-9 100 Originally based in Metropolis, the 100 kept a firm grip on the city's criminal underworld for years, in ...

and/or its derivatives (i.e the Order of Purity), secretive religious organizations seeking to restore justice to

Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his allies and foes. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, the cit ...

through religious

extremism Extremism is "the quality or state of being extreme" or "the advocacy of extreme measures or views". The term is primarily used in a political or religious sense to refer to an ideology that is considered (by the speaker or by some implied share ...

. They are typically portrayed as

antiheroes An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform action ...

and reluctant allies of the superhero

Batman Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on ...

and the

Batman Family A collective of fictional characters appear in American comic books published by DC Comics featuring the superhero Batman as the main protagonist. Since Batman's introduction in 1939, the character has accumulated a number of recognizable suppo ...

, battling forms of manipulations employed by their respective orders, violent tendencies shaped by tragedies in their life, and proving themselves trusted allies to Batman. In media, the Michael Lane incarnation of Azrael has been featured in the '' Batman: Arkham'' series of video games, voiced by

Khary Payton Khary Payton (born May 16, 1972) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as King Ezekiel on the horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' and Dr. Terrell Jackson on the soap opera '' General Hospital'', as well as voicing Cyborg across v ...

, while an original iteration of Azrael,

Theo Galavan Theo is a given name and a hypocorism. Greek origin Many names beginning with the root "Theo-" derive from the Ancient Greek word ''theos'' (''θεός''), which means god, for example: *Feminine names: Thea, Theodora, Theodosia, Theophania, ...

, appeared in the second season of the television series '' Gotham'', portrayed by

James Frain James Dominic Frain is an English stage and screen actor. His best known television roles include Thomas Cromwell in the Showtime/ CBC historical drama ''The Tudors'' (2007–2009), Franklin Mott in the HBO drama ''True Blood'' (2010), Warwi ...

Characters

Jean-Paul Valley

Jean-Paul Valley was introduced as the original Azrael in the 1992 four-issue miniseries ''Batman: Sword of Azrael''. He later briefly assumed the identity of Batman in the "

Knightfall "Knightfall" is a 1993–1994 Batman story arc published by DC Comics. It consists of a trilogy of storylines that ran from 1993 to 1994, consisting of "Knightfall", "Knightquest", and "KnightsEnd".On the comic book covers, only the third part ...

" story arc (1993-1994), after Bruce Wayne was severely injured in a fight with

Bane Bane may refer to: Fictional characters * Bane (DC Comics), an adversary of Batman * Bane (''Harry Potter''), a centaur in the ''Harry Potter'' series * Bane (''The Matrix''), a character in the ''Matrix'' film trilogy * Bane the Druid, a Gu ...

Michael Washington Lane

Michael Lane was originally introduced in ''Batman'' #665 (June 2007) as the alter-ego of the supervillain Bat-Devil. In ''Azrael: Death's Dark Knight'' #1 (May 2009), the character was re-introduced as the current Azrael, as part of ''

Battle for the Cowl "Batman: Battle for the Cowl" is a 2009 comic book storyline published by DC comics, consisting of an eponymous, three issue miniseries written and penciled by Tony Daniel, as well as a number of tie-in books. The central story details the chaos in ...

'', a storyline told in a three-issue miniseries format written by

Fabian Nicieza Fabian Nicieza (born December 31, 1961) is an Argentine-American comic book writer and editor who is best known for his work on Marvel titles such as ''X-Men'', ''X-Force'', ''New Warriors'', ''Nomad'', ''Cable'', ''Deadpool'' and '' Thunderbolts ...

Others

A number of other characters besides Valley and Lane have assumed the identity of Azrael in the

DC Universe The DC Universe (DCU) is the fictional shared universe where most stories in American comic book titles published by DC Comics take place. Superheroes such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Robin, Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Green Lant ...

: * Valley's father was the previous Azrael, as seen in ''Batman: Sword of Azrael'' (in which he was identified as Jean-Paul Valley Sr.). In ''Azrael Annual'' #1, the character's role as Azrael is depicted in more depth, and he is now identified as just Ludovic Valley. * A Chinese man, supposedly given the same training as Valley and an identical costume, is briefly under the control of the Order. Also, the position of the Order of St. Dumas' enforcer has been passed on since medieval times. * Early in the ''Azrael'' series, another man is supposedly selected and trained in the same way as Valley and the Chinese man to be Valley's replacement. He is defeated by Valley and supposedly falls to his death, only to resurface in Gotham City early on in the ''

Underworld Unleashed ''Underworld Unleashed'' was a multi-title American comic book crossover event released by DC Comics in 1995. The main theme of ''Underworld Unleashed'' involved the new ruler of Hell, a demon-lord named Neron, offering first many of the DC U ...

'' crossover event wearing one of Valley's 'Batman' armored costumes and engaging in illegal underground fights after having made a deal with Abra Kadabra (acting on behalf of Neron) for his soul in return for his life. * An unrelated character also named Azrael was created by

Marv Wolfman Marvin Arthur Wolfman (born May 13, 1946) is an American comic book and novelization writer. He worked on Marvel Comics's ''The Tomb of Dracula'', for which he and artist Gene Colan created the vampire-slayer Blade, and DC Comics's '' The New Te ...

and

José Luis García-López José Luis García-López (born March 26, 1948) is a Spanish-Argentine comics artist who works in the United States, particularly in a long-running relationship with DC Comics. In addition to his storytelling art, he has been responsible for produ ...

and debuted in ''

Tales of the Teen Titans The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC ...

'' #52 in 1985. This version, whose origins remained a mystery, appeared as a supporting character in the Titans stories in the late 1980s.

Other versions

In ''

The Multiversity ''The Multiversity'' is a two-issue limited series combined with seven interrelated one-shots set in the DC Multiverse in The New 52, a collection of universes seen in publications by DC Comics. The one-shots in the series were written by Grant M ...

: The Just'', which takes place on the alternate Earth-16 (where the grown sidekicks and children of superheroes live on an Earth free of crime),

Damian Wayne Damian Wayne, also known as Damian al Ghul (Arabic: دميان الغول), is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, created by Grant Morrison and Andy Kubert, commonly in association with Batman. He is the son o ...

, the new Batman, has a variation of Jean Paul's Azrael suit in a glass display in the Batcave.

In other media

Television

* Azrael made his live-action debut in the second season of '' Gotham'', portrayed by

. This incarnation's alter ego is Theo Galavan, a billionaire industrialist who is secretly the heir apparent of the Order of St. Dumas, and uncle of

Silver St. Cloud Silver St. Cloud is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the vigilante Batman. The character debuted in ''Detective Comics'' #470 (June 1977) and was created by Steve Englehar ...

. Galavan is the power behind a group of insane criminals called "The Maniax" who terrorize Gotham, but betrays them by killing their leader,

Jerome Valeska Jerome and Jeremiah Valeska are characters and antagonists on the FOX television series '' Gotham''. They are identical twin brothers portrayed by Cameron Monaghan. The series is a crime drama developed by Bruno Heller based on the Batman myt ...

, making him a public hero. He is elected Mayor of Gotham with the reluctant help of Oswald Cobblepot/Penguin, whom he blackmails into killing the other mayoral candidates by holding his mother, Gertrude, hostage. When Galavan's assassin sister,

Tabitha Tabitha () is an English feminine given name, originating with (or made popular through) Saint Tabitha, mentioned in the New Testament. In the Bible Tabitha or Dorcas is a woman mentioned in the New Testament. The English name is derived from ...

kills Gertrude anyway, Cobblepot swears revenge and enters a tenuous alliance with Detective Jim Gordon to bring Galavan down. The two of them eventually expose Galavan's corruption, prevent the Order of St. Dumas from sacrificing Bruce Wayne, destroy his criminal empire, and kill him. In " Wrath of the Villains: Pinewood", Galavan under the alias of "Patient 44" is revived by

Hugo Strange Hugo Strange is a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character is one of Batman's first recurring villains and is also one of the first Batman villains to discover t ...

. Strange's experiments warp Galavan's mind, however; he has no memory of his past life, and believes himself to be Azrael, an ancient immortal warrior who vanquished the Order's enemies. Strange takes advantage of Galavan's delusions by ordering "Azrael" to kill Gordon, gifting him a sword, mask and medieval armor. Galavan attacks the Gotham City Police Department, killing several police officers and wounding its captain, Nathaniel Barnes. In " Wrath of the Villains: Unleashed", Galavan is poised to finally kill Gordon, Alfred and Bruce Wayne at

Wayne Manor Wayne Manor Estate (or simply Wayne Manor) is a fictional mansion appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the personal residence of Bruce Wayne, who is also the superhero Batman. The residence is depicted as a large ma ...

, when Cobblepot and his henchman

Butch Gilzean '' Gotham'' is an American crime television series developed by Bruno Heller, based on characters appearing in and published by DC Comics in their Batman franchise, primarily those of James Gordon and Bruce Wayne. The series premiered in the Un ...

blow him up with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. * Azrael's name is mentioned in

Lucius Fox Lucius Fox is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Bruce Wayne / Batman. He is Bruce Wayne's business manager at Wayne Enterprises who runs the business interests that s ...

's journal in the ''

Batwoman Batwoman is a name used by several characters of DC Comics, both in mainstream continuity and Elseworlds. The best known Batwomen are Batwoman (Kathy Kane), Kathy Kane and Kate Kane. History * The first Batwoman (Kathy Kane), Batwoman, Kathy Ka ...

'' episode "A Secret Kept From All The Rest". * Jean-Paul Valley's Azrael costume can be briefly seen on display in

Doctor Trap Dan the Dyna-Mite Dan Turpin Damien Darhk The enigmatic Damien Darhk is an elusive and dangerous criminal mastermind and enemy of the Teen Titans. He makes his first appearance in ''Titans'' #1 (March 1999). Claiming to be a major player in t ...

's museum in the episode "Trapped" of the ''

Harley Quinn Harley Quinn is a character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Quinn was created by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm as a comic relief henchwoman for the supervillain Joker (character), Joker in ''Batman: The An ...

'' animated series.

Video games

* Both the Jean-Paul Valley and Michael Lane versions of Azrael are featured in '' Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure''.

''Lego''

* The Jean-Paul Valley version of Azrael is a playable character in the

Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...

version of '' Lego Batman: The Videogame'', unlocked after achieving "True Hero" on all levels. In the other versions, the player can unlock special LEGO pieces to build Azrael in the character creation feature. * The Michael Lane version of Azrael appears as a playable character in the handheld versions of '' Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes''.

''Batman: Arkham''

The Michael Washington Lane incarnation of Azrael appears in the '' Batman Arkham'' series, voiced by

: * Azrael first appears in '' Batman: Arkham City'', as the focus of the "Watcher in the Wings" side mission. After certain events in the game's main storyline, he can be seen on the rooftops of various buildings in Arkham City, watching over Batman. When approached, Azrael will disappear in a cloud of smoke, leaving a symbol for Batman to scan. After scanning all the symbols and combining them to reveal a location, Batman meets Azrael, who tells him about the Order of St. Dumas and warns him of their prophecy of future events and the Dark Knight's end. Though Batman doubts this, Azrael tells him that, regardless of his belief, there are parts of it that are becoming true and they will meet again, before disappearing into a cloud of smoke. * Azrael returns in '' Batman: Arkham Knight'' as the focus of the Most Wanted mission, "Heir to the Cowl", during which he is briefly playable. The character was later made fully playable in the game's challenge maps through an update. During

Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley B ...

's takeover of Gotham, Azrael contacts Batman to become his successor. Batman puts Azrael through several trials to test his abilities, during which he is unknowingly monitored by

Alfred Pennyworth Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tireless butler, ...

. After all the trials are completed, Alfred reveals that Azrael's fighting style is identical to Batman's, implying that he has been observing the Dark Knight for years. After discovering Azrael's true identity and that the Order of St. Dumas have implanted a microchip in his brain, Batman goes to the clock tower hideout to analyze the chip. The analysis reveals that the Order have been subtly controlling Azrael's actions, and that their ultimate plan for him is to kill Batman, whose moral code prevents criminals from facing "true justice", and become Gotham's sole protector. Azrael then appears behind Batman, revealing that he had been listening to Batman and Alfred's conversation. Now aware that the Order have manipulated him all along, he is torn between completing his mission to eliminate Batman, or regaining his free will. ** If the player chooses to have Azrael attempt to kill Batman, he is quickly subdued by the Dark Knight and subsequently incarcerated at the GCPD Headquarters, where he vows to escape and complete his mission one day. ** If the player chooses to have Azrael leave the clock tower or destroy his sword, he breaks free of the Order's brainwashing and vows to exact revenge on them for what they have done to him.

Collected editions

* ''Batman: Contagion'' (''Azrael'' #15) * ''Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 1'' (''Azrael: Agent of the Bat'' #51-55) * ''Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 2'' (''Azrael: Agent of the Bat'' #56) * ''Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 3'' (''Azrael: Agent of the Bat'' #58) * ''Batman: No Man's Land Vol. 4'' (''Azrael: Agent of the Bat'' #59-61) * ''Batman: Sword of Azrael'' (#1-4)

993 Year 993 ( CMXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – The 12-year-old King Otto III gives the Sword of Saints Cosmas and Damian ...

- * ''Azrael: Angel in the Dark'' (''Azrael'' (vol. 2) #1-6)

010 010 may refer to: * 10 (number) * 8 (number) in octal numeral notation * Motorola 68010, a microprocessor released by Motorola in 1982 * 010, the telephone area code of Beijing * 010, the Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the R ...

- * ''Batman: Gotham Shall Be Judged'' (''Azrael'' (vol. 2) #14-18)

012 012 may refer to: * Tyrrell 012, a Formula One racing car * The dialing code for Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassie ...

- * ''Azrael: Death's Dark Knight'' (#1-3) * ''Azrael Vol. 1: Fallen Angel'' (''Batman: Sword of Azrael'' #1-4, ''Showcase '94'' #10, ''Azrael'' #1-7)

References

External links

World of Black Heroes: Azrael (Michael Washington Lane) Biography
* Azrael (Jean-Paul Valley) at the DC Database Project * Azrael (Jean-Paul Ludovic Valley, the father) at the DC Database Project * Azrael (Michael Lane) at the DC Database Project
Azrael Biography
at Batman Myth.com * * {{Authority control Articles about multiple fictional characters DC Comics supervillains DC Comics male supervillains 1992 comics debuts Batman characters Comics characters introduced in 1992 DC Comics metahumans DC Comics characters with superhuman strength DC Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds DC Comics martial artists DC Comics police officers DC Comics titles Fictional characters with death or rebirth abilities Fictional assassins in comics Fictional members of secret societies Fictional swordfighters in comics Fictional genetically engineered characters Fictional African-American people Characters created by Dennis O'Neil Characters created by Joe Quesada Characters created by Grant Morrison Fictional knights Vigilante characters in comics Batman characters code names